CEO Blog: Preparing for the Hunt

I’m more than ready to stop talking and get back into the woods. This week, I’ll be back up a tree in Georgia. That has me thinking about the entire process of bowhunting. For me, practicing is one of the highlights. I always enjoy flinging arrows, but when the goal is to make a better shot on a live target, my process shifts. Where I might have focused on making the exact same shot each time on a target face, now I’m mixing it up. Last season taught me – really quickly – that we can’t design our shots in the woods. I’m preparing for those more challenging aspects: odd angles, longer holds and focusing clearly on my sight picture. If I’m fortunate enough to find my first whitetail within range, I want to make one flawless shot and fill the freezer.

I also enter this deer season with a very different perspective than last year. I was fortunate to have some of the best mentors in the business. They taught me what to bring – and what to leave home. They coached me to a level of comfort in an uncomfortable situation. But nothing could’ve prepared me for my first shots in the woods. The only thing I’d do differently? Practice those tough shots and pay more heed to the wise folks who warned me about buck fever. I think I’ve improved on the shot-making aspect. I’ll continue to hone that skill. I also think success during spring turkey season will help with some of those deer nerves.